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Music InterviewsMusic News

Watermelon Boy Discusses New Track ‘Break That Board’

by the partae
written by the partae

Where are you currently based?

Hey Team! Earlier this year I moved from Brunswick back into Fitzroy. It’s great to be closer to the action again. I love the nightlife here and the energy of Fitzroy is always a buzz.

You’ve recently joined forces with Ritchie Loop and Mark Dwyer, how did this collab come to be?

I had the idea for Break That Board and had come up with the basic rhythm & bassline. I knew that finding the right vocalists would be paramount. I actually connected with Mark first and he laid a killer verse. I knew that we needed a more dancehall style vocal for the chorus and Richie Loop has the perfect sound. The fact that he’s worked with some of my hero’s like Henry Fong & Vybz Kartel was obviously a major bonus. He added so much flavour to the track and really contrasted nicely against Mark’s verse. The track very quickly started to feel complete.

‘Break That Board’ is the killer track that’s come from the collab, what influenced the sound and songwriting?

The tuned percussion is pure Watermelon Boy but I used a more twerky rhythm this time which gave it a different groove. When the vocal recordings came back to me, it all reminded me of 90’s fighting games like Street Fighter II so I recorded a bunch of samples that sounded like the commentary from those types of games. Adding those and the game soundFX really solidified the flavour of the track.

How did the songwriting process take place?

I had the “Mind like a rock, hand like a sword…” concept in my head and wanted to pay tribute to karate bad-assery. I’ve done karate since I was a kid and had never really crossed it over into music in any way. So I sent that to Mark with the beat and he wrote his verse around that. Same with Richie Loop. They both came back with their own lyrics that involved hard work and self improvement which are cornerstones of traditional martial arts. So the track has this “zen” to it which I think is so cool because there’s a correlation with being a musician or any kind of artist. The themes of working hard, honing your skills, so you can be creative, masterful and unpredictable.

Where and when did you record/produce/master?

It was very much a modern recording process with me producing and mixing from Melbourne while Richie recorded in Jamaica and Mark the US. It all came together earlier in the year

What programs/equipment were used?

I write in ableton live and mix internally, recently I’ve started doing a little “pre-master” where I run the track through some outboard gear to give it a little extra shine. I’m also finding that this helps me get a really nice mix because it shows up anything that’s unbalanced. So I’ll end up running the track out a few times and making fine adjustments before sending it to Klaus Hill for the final master. I use an SSL Fusion for a bit of colour as well as a buss compressor from Audioscape and a really nice Australian made EQ from High Voltage Audio.

What were the most challenging and rewarding aspects of creating Break That Board?

It’s always hard working in opposing timezones but if one isn’t in a hurry it can still be reasonable. Hearing the track come together and getting the master back was damn rewarding. It might be my favourite Watermelon Boy work yet. And that’s cool.. To continually make music you’re excited by.

Will we be hearing more tracks from this trio?

I think we’ll have to make more! This was such a ball and came out sounding so solid it’s inspired me to push this sound further.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

Hagan, Digital Afrika & BRYAN THE MENSAH are making some of my favourite music at the moment. I’m also really enjoying listening to Alex Jones get raked over the coals on the Knowledge Fight podcasts and being updated on Australian cookers and con-artists on The Conditional Release Program.

What’s planned for the remainder of 2022 going into 2023?

I’ll be playing Cloud 9 in Fiji on the 7th, 8th & 9th of December. It’s a perfect venue for Watermelon Boy; The tropical setting on the water, busting chill tunes with pizza and cocktails. Such a great way to spend a vaycay. On the 21st of Dec I’m hosting a Summer Solstice Variety Show at The Evelyn in Fitzroy with some VERY special guests that I’ll be announcing soon.

Favourite food and place to hangout?

For lunch I love any place with decent vegan sandwich options, that includes Viet Rose Bakery or Nico’s Sandwich Deli in Fitzroy. Around dinner time I’ll frequent one of the local institutions like Afghan Gallery, Madame K’s, Fina’s or The Rainbow Hotel. As far as bars go, we have so many brilliant ones around but you’ll likely find me at Nighthawks in Collingwood which is always a great place for a chat in the beer garden.

Socials:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/watermelon__boy

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Premiere – Ben O’Kane ‘Place I’ve Never Been’ Interview

by the partae
written by the partae
Where are you currently based?

 

My hometown, West Wyalong in central NSW. But looking to move away next year just not sure where to just yet!

 

What was it like growing up in country NSW?

 

It’s funny, if you asked me this question 10 years ago I would say I couldn’t get to the city / coast quick enough.  But as I’ve gotten older and seen more of the world it’s made me appreciate how good it was to grow up in the country. What I look back on now is the mateship that you build in the small country town and no matter how far I go or how long I am away for my mates and those friendships back home have never changed. My last release ‘Aint It Funny How’ explores all of this, give it a listen!

 

How did you first start playing music?

 

I was 12 years old when I first picked up the guitar. I had a couple of mates who were a bit older than me start a band and thought they were the best thing ever. And I guess I wanted to be like them so I started playing by myself and started writing songs pretty much straight away in a little notebook which, I have still have today. Some of the lyrics are hilarious. 

 

What’s been happening recently?

 

I’ve been busy, it’s been a massive year actually. Now footy has finished up I have been playing gigs most weekend in a few new places such as Albury/Wodonga. I’ve just started working on some new tracks so hopefully will be able to release new music sometime next year as well!

 

Your single ‘Place I’ve Never Been’ is out on November 4, what influenced the sound and songwriting?

 

This song is a combination of a lot of difference influences. I loved acoustic punk-rock songs as a teenager and the guitar / strings element in this track defiantly draw upon those sounds from Dashboard Confessional, Jimmy Eat World and Angels and Airways. But what I love about this song is the subtle electronic songs. These songs were all drawn from my more recent influences such as Allday. This is a sound /style I really want to explore further in the future. 

 

But the track completely changed from what I originally had in mind for it. The song started as just an acoustic guitar played lying on my lap as a percussion/guitar fusion, similar to how Ziggy Alberts made a lot of his earlier stuff. But the track kept evolving however, the originally chords were kept and we decided to add the electronic elements instead of the percussion elements to give the song a bit of extra punch. 

 

How did this single come about?

 

I never really intended this song to be on the EP actually. But when I showed my procedure my original idea, he loved the concept of it and immediately saw the potential direction we could take the track so the track evolved and came together really quickly. Lyrically, I had this idea in mind of exploring what it’s like to realize you are falling in love for the time and rather than fight it, letting yourself open up to it and becoming vulnerable with someone again. 

 

Where and when did you record/produce/master and who did you work with?

 

Nearly a year ago to the day I took the 12 hour drive to Byron to record the EP with producer Billy Otto who produced the whole track. Talents Bryon local, Phoebe Neumann also features on the track with the female backing vocals. The track was mixed by Caleb M. Harris who is based in Nashville Tennesse in the States. And the song was mastered by Trent Dobson who is based in the UK – so it was a bit of a global effort!

 

How was it working with (Producer) Billy Otto?

 

Working with Billy was incredible. I had zero experience recording music before and Billy made the whole process so easy and so much fun. Some of my best memories will forever be making the demos in the his little house on the hill. 

 

How did you approach the recording/production process?

 

As this was my first experience recording I didn’t know what to expect so I just went in with an open mind and didn’t want to get bogged down by what I thought they tracks should song like. I am so happy for this because the songs turned out even better than I had imagined. It did get a little tricky after I had to move back home after 3 weeks because of covid, but we made it work and it was just such an amazing experience overall. 

 

Who was responsible for the Artwork and Creative for this project and how did the concepts come about?

 

Ashley Cooper, who is a member of the Holy Moly Artist and Gum Records family designed the artwork and creative for this track. The track is all set in the early hours of the morning and the cover reflects what a dawn looks like in the country with Australian native fauna looking like shadows. 

 

Your debut EP is on the way, please tell us about the writing process and some idea of what we can expect:

 

It is my debut EP and it is called ‘Avem Haven’. I started the writing process by booking an isolated cabin in the hills of Kangaroo Valley in NSW. I literally just spent 4 days, from sunrise to sunset, by myself coming up with song concepts, playing with some sound ideas and writing lyrics. Looking back it was one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. The cabin I stayed in was called ‘Avem Haven’ and I named the EP after it because without that trip there would have been no EP to release!

 

What are you listening to at the moment?

 

At the moment I am trying to really focus on what sort of sounding artist I want to be. A big thing for me is making my live performances sound like the recorded tracks using my loop station. So I am currently listening to Felipe Baldomir, I love how he structures his songs using a loop station and how he uses open guitar tunings. I am also listening to Ziggy Alberts who is a massive inspiration of mine. I love his lyrics and cannot wait for his new album ‘Dancing In The Dark’ to be released. And lastly I am also listening to the Melbourne band ‘Slowly Slowly’. Again I love there conceptual lyrical writing and their overall sound. I saw them live the other week of or the first time and they were honestly the best live act I’ve ever seen. 

 

What’s planned for the remainder of 2022 going into 2023?

This year, I have a few more shows planned in regional NSW. But next year I am planning my first every official tour to promote the release of my EP which I am super excited about. Expect shows to be down the south coast and in the major NSW cities such as Wagga Wagga, Canberra, Albury and Wollongong.

 

Favourite food and place to hangout?

 

I don’t know if I have one favourite food, anything cooked by mum never misses though. And being at home when all the family is home is always my favourite place to be!

https://www.instagram.com/benokanemusic/

 

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Kopps

by the partae
written by the partae
Where are you currently based?
 
Rochester, NY
 
 
Please tell us about what’s been happening recently?
 
We just put out a brand new music video for our single “Planet Bitch,” which is the second single we’ve released from our upcoming EP, also titled Planet Bitch. 🙂 We’ve also been touring pretty extensively and have more dates coming up in the Northeast in November and December!
 
 
What influenced or inspired your latest single “Planet Bitch”
 
When I came up with the concept of “Planet Bitch” I just knew we needed to do a title track for it. So basically the concept led to the single and I knew I wanted to work with our long-time producer (Daniel Armbruster of Joywave) on it as well. We always have good chemistry on tongue-in-cheek tracks like this one. 
 
 
How did you go about writing this single?
 
The concept led to the creation which isn’t something that always happens. We started with a track and I wrote a lot of the lyrics/melodys on my own, then we reconvened to edit everything down and record. That’s actually my preferred way to write as I like to have some time alone with a track instead of writing everything in-studio, though I’ve done it both ways. 
 
 
Where and when did you record/produce/master and who did you work with?
 
The song was written and recorded in Rochester, NY at Daniel Armbruster’s studio (He also produced the track.) It was mixed by Nick Radovanovic and mastered by Joe Laporta. 
 
 
How did you approach the recording process?
 
Because our catalog is pretty extensive, we’ve recorded a lot and record mostly the same way for every track. The song structure etc. need to be completed before other instruments or vocals are recorded for the most part, but many of the digital parts of the track will have been laid down prior to finishing writing, then once vocals and any real instruments being used are recorded, much more production polishing happens to actually complete the track. Then there are typically rounds of edits for mixing as well.
 
 
You made a VFX music video, how did this come about and how was it working with Josiah Moore?
 
All the credit goes to Josiah on the VFX! Josiah was incredibly easy to work with, I think our visions were aligned from the first call we had and the process of shooting only took one day. After that the heavy lifting was done by Josiah who created “Planet Bitch” and all of the visuals. I was so amazed when I saw the first edits- really just blown away. I hope new and old fans enjoy this as much as we do!
 
 
How did the concept for the music video come about?
 
I think for this it was only natural for us to want to create the actual planet we keep talking about in the music and show the audience a little barbarella fantasy moment. Because our live shows are choreographed, I knew I wanted that to be a part of things too!
 
 
What does this music video mean to you?
 
It’s one of our most visually flashy videos but also a video that is just supposed to be a snapshot in time of “Planet Bitch,” so it’s less like our other videos, many of which have more of a concept to figure out. This one is more performative and different for us while still showing glimpses of humor through the alien queen character, boob guns, etc. 😉
 
 
How did COVID affect your music and writing process?
 
Hugely. It was a dark time for my music career and pretty uninspiring as live performance is probably my favorite part of musicianship as a whole and that was no longer an option (besides performing to a phone.) I also was a lot less physical because we could no longer rehearse and be in a room with one another so I felt a sense of really losing multiple pieces of myself. The music I am putting out now has been done for quite a while but not being able to see an audience receive it made me not want to release it until this cooled down. Ultimately there were pros and cons to this but playing live now, I’m glad I waited to release!
 
 
Please tell us about your upcoming EP and how it differs from your last EP Kopyright
I think there are moments on this album that are similar to Kopyright in that it’s “all killer no filler” and really energetic throughout, but I also think it differs in that there are moments on this one that are really meaningful to me personally and show different elements of musicianship than prior projects have. I think this is the most “funk” driven and vocally popping project we’ve released in a while, which is cool for me as a singer.
 
 
Who are you listening to at the moment?
 
I am finding myself revisiting the Genesis/Phil Collins discography lately, lol…I’ve also just been having a straight up mainstream moment listening to Beyoncé and Taylor Swift’s new albums but I have to say that listening to those artists as well as less radio friendly stuff has really taught me how to be a dynamic writer in a lot of ways since our music does have major pop underpinnings while also mixing in several genres. I look at each music consumption experience as a way to learn more.
 
 
What do you like to do away from music?
 
As an extension of music: working out and dance are definitely important for me mentally and physically, especially because of how physically demanding our shows are! Psychology is what I went to school for, so what makes people tick is really interesting to me and I do a lot of reading about that in my spare time. I’m also pretty into various holistic health topics and am always trying new stuff with that. At home, I live in a historic house, so there’s no shortage of projects there to focus on and restoration is very rewarding for me. Lastly, I don’t like to be in one place for too long so I travel between coasts frequently and make being near water a big priority. 

 

What’s planned for the remainder of 2022 going into 2023?

Our next single “There’s No Such Thing As Love” comes out November 11, and the entire Planet Bitch EP is out November 18th! We have upcoming live dates in November and December as well, which can be found on our website at koppsmusic.com !!

https://www.instagram.com/koppsmusic/

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Coco Elise talk about their debut ep, making music on GarageBand, and more

by the partae
written by the partae

Where are you currently based?

We are currently based in Boorloo, Perth,, chillin.

How did you first start playing music?

I was given a guitar as a child, then was spoken to by the musical gods and learned my one true calling was to play music and with this, I began to write music. And with that, here we are. Welcome.

What’s been happening recently?

Music-wise we’ve started to really get into it, we’ve got a lot of new tunes we’re really excited about! We’ve just been playing a lot of shows and feeling them lows. We’ve also been a bit sad, and that’s not all bad. It’s important to feel as sad as possible when writing music so emotion can be successfully portrayed.

What influenced the sound and songwriting for your new single ‘Wish you’d show’?

Mainly Mac de Marco and Kate Bollinger, with a dash of Vampire Weekend. Big fan of how they can make such stripped back music sound so good.

How did you go about writing Wish you’d show and what does this track mean to you?

This track and “Sun may shine” were kind of written at the same time, Harry came over and did some Saxophone overdubs on a beat I came up with while Isaiah was asleep on the couch. Our old bass player Dan came around after and tracked some fantastic bass bits after. It’s by far our favourite song at the moment, and it’s a classic little love song. There’s definitely heaps out there, but they always mean the most to whoever’s making them!

Your debut EP is on the way, please tell us about your journey with this EP:

This EP has a special place in my head as it’s been completely produced and mixed in my room on GarageBand. Starting out I didn’t have too much to work with and I feel like a nice unique sound has come out of the process. I’ve been sitting on these tracks for a while, and was pretty unsure how they’d be received. We’ve had some awesome support lately, and it feels really good to get them out.

What can we expect?

Life. Thrills. Freedom.

Where and when did you record/produce/master and who did you work with?

All tracks were mastered with Gareth Henderson (thanks Gareth), everything else was done with the band in my bedroom.

How did you approach the recording process?

I usually just play around on the guitar or a synth and see if anything nice comes out of that, that’s usually the first step. Then I sing over whatever I have, and build everything else from there. Every song’s a little different!

Who are you listening to at the moment?

A lot of Kate Bollinger, and a local resurfaced band Butter who are just amazing.

What do you like to do away from music?

Play with animals, change the world, and inspire the generation to come.

What’s planned for 2022 going into 2023?

We’re absolutely loving playing live gigs around town, so we’ll keep doing that! We love reworking the songs for live performances, keep its really fun for us and hopefully people who come see us as well. We’ve got another EP ready to go as well, stay tuned…

Favourite food and place to hangout?

We love getting burgers at Flipside in Freo, and see whatever is going on at Mojo’s. Perhaps even have a nice beverage, if we’re feeling crazy.

COCO ELISE SOCIAL MEDIA:

INSTAGRAM // SPOTIFY // FACEBOOK // SOUNDCLOUD

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Interview: Late November

by the partae
written by the partae
Where are you currently based?
We are based up in Townsville, North Queensland
 
How did Late November form?
We were all mates that were playing in the High School Jazz Band together, then we caught up outside of that to have a play, and the rest is history!
 
What’s been happening recently?
We’ve been super stoked with the reception on our newest track ‘Fishook’, and we are gearing up for the next few releases!
 
What or influenced the sound and songwriting on your latest single ‘Fishook’?
Retrospectively we’d say that it’s very Last Dinosaurs inspired, we didn’t really set out to write a song that took elements from anything, but we think we must have been really enjoying their sound and arrangement. As for the production, there is a bit of Bluejuice in some of the harmony lines, very Broken Leg-esque in parts of the song.
 
How did Fishook come about?
Alex, Aden, Denzel and Sam were all piled into Kodie’s car (a fresh p-plater at the time), and Alex had his guitar half out the window. ‘I’ve got something to show you boys’ he said, and by the time he was up to the second verse we were all sold on it.
 
Where and when did you record/produce/master and who did you work with?
We originally recorded with Mark Myers up in Cairns, but we’d developed the song so much since that session that what we’d recorded there didn’t feel relevant to us anymore. We then re-recorded most of it in the Aitkenvale Library in Townsville, then sent the fresh stems off to Mason Rowley (Oh Forest Shore, Arches) to mix, then to Hayden Dunlop (Chelsea Drive) to master.
 
What do all of the 7 members do in the band?
We’ve got a jazz band in the making:
Alex Thomas (Vocals/Rhythm Guitar)
Aden Rock (Tenor Saxophone)
Kodie Redfern (Bass)
Samuela Naborisi (Drums)
Denzel Carlos (Lead Guitar)
Anthony Minehan (Alto Saxophone)
Kristopher Gounaris (Trumpet)
 
Outside of the instruments, Alex and Kodie do most of the writing for the core structure of the song, and Kodie is a member/manager of sorts, organising the branding, merchandise, and other logistics. Sam is a talented producer, and he makes the interludes we use for our live sets.
 
Please tell us about your upcoming Australian tour and possible dates for Japan:
We are itching for both of these! We are aiming to do between 7-10 shows mostly between Tokyo and Osaka in around March, and then we’ve got an Australian tour in our sights for late 2023, and we’re hoping to hit Brisbane, Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, Townsville (of course) and Wollongong. We’re still ironing out logistics and costs for the Aus tour, but at this stage it’s looking promising!
 
How does being based in Townsville, QLD influence your music?
Townsville has fostered its fair share of original artists, and the music scene has been quite collaborative in nature. We feel that we wouldn’t have the sound we do now, if it wasn’t for seeing these local artists and being inspired. That inspiration naturally makes you look at what they’re doing in their music, and a little bit of that is bound to rub off on you.
To name a few super influential locals:
Colie
Sam Wright
Oh Forest Shore
The Broadcast Fiasco
Hidden Pillars
The Funny Jims
Chelsea Drive
Dogtooth
Lost for Ideas
 
Please tell us about the importance of the community and being a part of the growing Townsville community:
Watching bands like The Broadcast Fiasco (formerly Solarpets) play in Townsville at the Rec Room was formative for me (Kodie). As a teenager that was learning how to play guitar, this kind of thing struck a chord in me, and I knew instantly that I wanted to do what they were doing. Without these shows, I might never have experienced that feeling. Or I might have experienced it later in life when starting a band seemed too foreign a concept. Without this community and culture in Townsville, we will be missing out on generations of artists that haven’t had that ‘Aha!’ moment, and that’d be a real shame. Multiple people from Brisbane have said to us ‘there must be something in the water in Townsville’ and we think that’s just the community and culture raising well rounded, and collaborative artists.
 
Who are you listening to at the moment?
Our top 5 at the moment are:
Sunbleached
Bryce Bishop
Pinegrove
Fontaines D.C.
Turnstile
 
What’s planned for the remainder of 2022 going into 2023?
We’ve got an AirBnB booked in Lucinda for the first week of November, and we are all going to get together and make as much as we can. We’ve got so much in the pipeline, and we can’t wait to share it all!

https://www.facebook.com/LateNovemberBand

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Helsloot

by the partae
written by the partae
Where are you based at the moment?
 
Ally aka Almere, The Netherlands
 
What music have you listened to today?
 
Stellar Drifting by George Fitzgerald. It’s a great album. And a lot of afrobeats like Burna Boy – Plenty and 1da Banton – No Wahala.
 
Your new release ‘Amora’ features Tom Zeta. Did you enjoy working together?
 
I did. He invited me into his studio in Utrecht at the time after sliding into his DM, because I’m a big fan of his sound. He offered me some coffee and krentenbollen, I was sold.
 
What was your workflow?
 
For ‘Bravoure’ we started jamming a bit. We both found out our productions are always very rhythm based. He is a skilled drummer and a intuitive producer so he started recording some hihats and home-brew shakers. I started looking for a bass rhythm that was slightly off the grid. We talked a bit about our mutual love for G Funk and started looking for synths to see if we could mix these genres together.
 
‘Amora’ started by this melodic break he played me. I had some ideas for the structure and the drop and we started to jam. He had a Poly Brute so I was playing around with it and laid down the bass and some synth plucks for the drop. It all happened quite fast as we only needed 3 sessions to complete the ideas for both tracks.
 
We went a bit back and forth on Whatsapp and finished the tracks quite fast.
 
What is your favourite piece of equipment?
 
The Specular Tempus. It’s a pedal effect that combines delay / reverb / granular effects. I’ve routed it to my Juno 106 which create this atmosphere that always seems to hit the spot.
 
What is your favourite track from this EP?
 
I had coffee with Tom yesterday where we found out we both have a different fav. He is all about Bravoure where I always like to play Amora just a little bit more.
 
How was your Summer?
 
I had a love / hate relationship with my studio as my airconditioning broke down. And I had some great gigs in The Netherlands, London and Istanbul. 
 
Got any exciting gigs coming up this autumn?
 
Yes I’m heading to Sao Paulo in December where I get to play at Laroc. And I’m the support act of Bob Moses’s show at Melkweg, Amsterdam.
 
What DJ’s are you really digging right now?
 
Black Circle and Martin Waslewski.
 
What have you got planned for 2023?
 
I’m actually planning to work on an album.
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Lahgo: Shallow Hellos (Premiere)

by the partae
written by the partae

Where are you currently based?

The sandy shores of Bondi Beach baby.

How did you first start playing music?

Each member found their love for music through different avenues, which we think makes the journey unique and exciting for the listener as you’ll begin to hear different experiences and memories captured in each song.

What’s been happening recently?

A healthy combination of recording, gigging and writing. We’ve headlined some sick shows this year (including a sellout at the Lansdowne), and we’ve polished off two EPs in the process, released our first single and shot 2 film clips. It’s been quite hectic.

Your latest single ‘Shallow Hellos’ will be out on the 27th of October, what influenced the sound and songwriting?

Shallow Hellos was a lockdown baby. Sonically, and maybe unintentionally, we leaned into a dark and moody twist on the classic indie sound which was quite reflective of what was happening around us. Although the core themes of the song are of isolation and alienation, the track finishes big with an energetic chorus which was kind of fitting, looking into an optimistic lockdown-free future.

How did you go about writing Shallow Hellos?

The opening riff was something Aron had in the bank for a long time. He took it to the band and it all came together real quick. Lee and Adam brought in that driving groove you hear in the second verse which left Mel’s vocals to shine flawlessly on-top. Very much a collaboration which is why we think it sounds so good.

Where and when did you record/produce/master and who did you work with?

We recorded the song at Parliament Studios in Annandale. Our longtime friend, producer, workhorse, shaman-in-sound and baby daddy Luke Payne produced it. He’s been with us since the start and he’s seen us hone our craft. He might tell you differently, but this was one of the smoother, funner recordings from our first EP.

Matt Fioravanti did the mixing and mastering. He’s a wizard. No two ways about it. He brought the track to life in ways we didn’t think possible.

How did you approach the recording process?

Initially, like a bull in an antiques store. We used to try and hustle a full track over a single weekend. By the time we got Shallow Hellos our process had improved a lot. We wrote it, demo’d it, drilled it, gigged it, and then recorded it amongst a batch of other tracks. So when you take the whole timeline into account, it was a matter of months.

Please tell us about how the concept for the music video came about and who did you work with?

We had worked with a great photographer Nick Gascione in a past photoshoot. He’s a true Aussie legend with a ‘straight-up’ way of doing things. He came around and we just smashed through the concept. We wanted to lean into the dark themes of the track and a real feeling of isolation/ fighting with one’s own inner thoughts. Next thing we were in his studio with Mel running on a treadmill all day. Max then took all the raw footage and edited it for 2 days straight and now we all can’t stop watching it. If you pay close attention, you’ll see Mel staring at 6 copies of herself at once haha.

You have an EP on the way, what can we expect?

You can expect the beginnings of band experimenting with finding an original sound. There’s just so many layers in each of the tracks. We’re so grateful to our producer Luke Payne who doesn’t know the meaning of the word ‘no’. Not once did he say, “nah that won’t work”. It was always like “yeh! Lets try that absolutely ridiculous idea.” We’re all super proud of it and it’s a real testament to our quest for originality. We look back fondly on all the laughs, cries, fights and late night Macca’s meals that went into making this beauty.

Any upcoming shows?

Ofcourse! We’re headlining a free show at the Royal in Bondi on Thursday the 10th of November. There’ll be plenty more too. Best to stay up to date with us on IG @lahgo_.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

Who aren’t we listening to? Such a diverse range of artists. From late 60’s Beatles records to 80’s Japanese disco-pop, 90’s boom bap, hard rock’n’roll, 2022 neo-soul, indie pop and everything current. If it’s good, we’re listening.

What do you like to do away from music?

We’re all into different sorta stuff, you know? Az loves his golf. Adam loves skiing, When she’s not spending time with her cats, Mel gets into nature walks. Lee loves his painting, Max digs on film-making.

Favourite food and place to hangout?

One of our rituals is to hit Fish Shop after a long session on a Saturday. If you haven’t had an O.G fish burger, stick it at the top of your bucket list. Also the Royal Hotel Bondi. It’s basic, but you just can’t beat a schooner and some Totti’s woodfired bread.

What’s planned for the remainder of 2022 going into 2023?

We’ve booked some time in a secluded house in the middle of no-where. We want to get away from the rat race for a minute to continue writing our next body of work. Then it’s a tour early next year and mid-late 2023 hitting festival season hard like a fly on a freshly laid doggy-doo-doo. 2023 is gonna be huge and we just can’t wait.

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Oly Sherman

by the partae
written by the partae

Where are you currently based?

Currently based in Manly! Sydney, Australia.

How did you first start playing music?

I started playing guitar throughout school, and slowly grew into singing and piano. Everything just kind of snowballed until I was confident enough to write my own stuff!

What’s been happening recently?

Moved house, finished touring, finishing up a new project, getting a lot more exercise and sleep in! The good stuff I guess. 

Your latest single ‘ Dancin’ in the rain” is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?

I went through a massive RnB phase throughout lockdown, and went through about 6 months of experimenting with the type of sound that you can hear in the song. 

How did you go about writing ‘Dancin’ in the rain’?

It came rather quickly actually! I had the sax sample recorded for a long time and wrote the song around that! The theme of the song is architected around the people that are close to me, and how they make me feel.

Where and when did you record/produce/master and who with?

I recorded most of the song at my home studio in Sydney, and then completed a final mix with Dan Natoli at Kiln Studios. 

What’s the Sydney music scene like at the moment?

To be honest, whenever I’m asked this question, I don’t really know what to say. Sometimes it’s great and there’s a real sense of optimism within the shows I attend and shows of my own. However sometimes it can seem bleak, and there feels like this constant pressure to make artists into more than artists (content providers, accountants, media guru’s, etc).

What are your favourite venues to play and why?

I think my favorite venue has got to be my hometown venue of The Lansdowne. I grew up watching so many of my favorite artists play there, and was such an insane feeling when I got to sell it out myself a couple of times!

You have an upcoming tour, where are you headed and what do you most enjoy about touring?

Touring can be amazing, and can also be grueling. If I’m doing a solo part of the tour, airports can become a bit annoying after a while. We end the tour with a huge Byron show, which should mean the band and I get a bit of time in the sun!

Please tell us about any upcoming music/albums:

I have a new project in the works, which should be on the horizon early next year.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

Honestly, a lot of dance music, particularly house and jazz house. It’s such a fun and refreshing mixup to my normal stuff, and super fun to dj. 

What do you like to do away from music?

I’m a pretty chill morning guy, and like the simple things like exercise, beach and reading. I also like just organizing day things with my partner and friends and making the most of the time we have!

What’s planned for the remainder of 2022 going into 2023?

I finish touring in mid-November and then I have the rest of the year off! Very exciting. I’m going to spend a little bit of it completing a new project, and then I’m going to relax!

Favourite food and place to hangout?

Anything to do with sashimi. I’m due for some actually. 

Official Website: https://olyshermanmusic.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/olyshermanmusic

Twitter: https://twitter.com/olyshermanmusic

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/olysherman/?hl=en

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5Jv0u21SjHXS2-HpL1mirQ

Triple J Unearthed: https://www.abc.net.au/triplejunearthed/artist/oly-sherman-0/

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Poppy Rose 

by the partae
written by the partae

Where are you currently based?
I am based in Naarm (Melbourne).

How did you first start playing music?
Off my brothers iPod! And eventually I just figured out how to make my own.

What’s been happening recently?
Well, I’ve been getting used to having a song out again after 5 years and taking it all in. I’ve been working to pay the bills and working on my music!

Your latest single ‘My God’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?
I just started off with a simple beat I made and melody. I don’t think anything in particular inspired it. Maybe just lived experience and trying to have fun with the lyrics. I wanted to do some wordplay with pop culture references so the movie ‘Friday’ with Ice Cube and Chris Tucker, Kill Bill, Michael Jordan & Dr Phil influenced that!

How did you go about writing My God?
I love 808’s, and I was playing around with an 808 melody on GarageBand & then experimented with some percussion samples and slam/kick FX and MIDI trumpets and as I was doing the beat making process, I came up with a melody and then wrote lyrics.

Where and when did you record/produce/master and who did you work with?
Over a year ago now, I was in a little bedroom and created the demo. I then took the demo to HAMLEY (producer) who beefed everything up and then Matt ‘Xiro’ Fioravanti mixed and mastered it.

How did you approach the recording process?
After having my version of the demo for a while, I got used to the original vocals I did and was pretty set on them being in the final mix. When I’m doing it on my own time I don’t feel pressure because I can take as long as I like and choose my environment. But I had to let go of what I was comfortable with, re-record them better quality and try to have the same energy as the demo which ended up sounding more powerful in the end.

You’ve recently taken a break from music to work on yourself, please tell us about this
process:
When I put my first song ‘Ocean’ out 5 years ago, I didn’t realise the extent of how much I had going on for myself personally and mentally which put a halt on me focusing on my music. I got addicted to drugs and I didn’t know I was addicted until I was really in the depth of it. I made a choice and didn’t realise the implications it would have. When I knew I wanted help, I made a choice to try and get it. I had definitely tried to get help in the past, but when it worked for me is because I wanted it for myself. Music definitely played a big part in my recovery because when the lockdowns hit, I just threw myself into creating music again.

How did you go about teaching yourself to produce and make beats?
GarageBand, and a lot of YouTube tutorials!

Who are you listening to at the moment?
JK-47. I love his realness and lyricism. A new inspiration of mine too! I can’t wait to see him play at First & Forever – A Celebration of Blak Excellence festival in November and all of the other incredible artists on the lineup.

What do you like to do away from music?
Talk to my cat Chonky, spend time with my loved ones, do backyard hairdressing for friends and myself, converse with people and learn how they see the world and experience it and I like stretching/yoga, I just want to do it more regularly!

What’s planned for the remainder of 2022 going into 2023?
Staying focused on my music and getting it out there! I have a hard drive full of songs I’ve been writing and I just can’t wait for the world to hear them. More released music, more time with friends and family, getting back into live performing, keeping healthy and staying open to learning from every experience!

Favourite food and place to hangout?
Asian food, especially dumplings. My favourite place to hangout is in my bedroom studio. Whilst eating dumplings.

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Fresco Kyoto

by the partae
written by the partae

Where are you currently based?
We are currently based in Brisbane.

How did you first start playing music?
Cant speak for all members of the group, but i would be confident in saying we were lucky enough to be exposed to music early on in our childhoods. I know I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to learn an instrument during my schooling years and took it forward from there.

What’s been happening recently?
Since covid we have been focusing our energies on writing new material. We hope that this new track is the first in a series of exciting new releases and content. We were especially excited to welcome our newest member Toby Alexander to the group who was instrumental in the writing and production of ‘You Save Me’.

How did the band form?
In the early days the group consisted of a few of us who knew each other from high school. Then over the years the rest of us came together through the Brisbane music scene and eventually formed our current lineup.

Your latest single ‘You save me’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?
Our newest member Toby Alexander was instrumental in establishing the initial sound and feel of the song, drawing inspiration from artists such as Rufus Du Sol and Kx5 for his initial demos. Lyrically the song evolved into a kind of fictional telling a failing relationship, and one party’s journey of self realisation and sacrifice in order to set their partner free.
How did You save me come about?

What’s the Brisbane music scene like at the moment?
As the post – covid period continues, we believe this is perhaps as exciting a time as any in the Brisbane music scene. There are countless new artist that have emerged from the online community over the past two years, and as the Brisbane inner city infrastructure continues to develop as it has in recent years we expect Brisbane’s live music to amaze on a national level.

You were the recent winner of ‘Best Live Artist’ and ‘Best Emerging Artist’ that was presented by the Brisbane Council, please tell us about this experience and how it all came about:
We are extremely fortunate that the Brisbane City Council hosts such incredible initiatives such as the Qube Effect awards and City Sounds live music in order to uncover and showcase the city’s emerging artists. For city Sounds were able to play a number of gigs within the city and Southbank areas to large crowds of passers by, and for the Qube Effect awards we were given the opportunity to be mentored by industry professionals, as well as have a music video filmed and produced for us. These experiences were unforgettable and incredibly valuable to us as a band. Our awards were a bonus, but also extremely encouraging showing we were on the right track!

Who are you listening to at the moment?
Again I can’t speak for all the boys, but I always like to have a radiohead song in whatever playlist is on. Lately I have also found myself giving some early Elton John a run…

What’s planned for the remainder of 2022 going into 2023?

At this stage we will look to release several more singles over the coming months, possibly leading to an EP in 2023.

Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube | Triple J Unearthed

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Jamieson

by the partae
written by the partae

Where are you currently based?
Sydney – AUS

How did you first start playing music?
At home, I was always surrounded by music. My dad plays electric guitar and my mum used to send my sister & I to piano lessons (I hated that!)

Then I picked up the Saxophone and joined the school band – and that was my main instrument all through school (Jazz Band, Stage Band & Concert Bands)

In my final years of high school I really wanted to start singing – so I would steal my dads guitars to accompany my singing and would watch tutorials on Youtube. I even started playing piano again when I got into music production.

What’s been happening recently?
I’ve spent the past 2 years writing a bunch of new music. Put together my band and rehearsed it all so we could play our first headline gig (whilst shooting the music video for “Tomorrow”)
I’m excited to announce I will be performing at my first music festival in December and have been working alongside the team at SunSets Festival to promote the event.

Your single ‘Tomorrow’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?
I’ve always loved listening to rap music and the rhythmic delivery of the vocals/rhyming…intertwining melodies with fast paced delivery. I initially sat down to see how many words I could rhyme and for it to somewhat make sense to the listener. Once I had written the hook, I had something catchy to come back to – and I would find pockets to deliver the verses in between.

How did you go about writing Tomorrow and what does this song mean to you?
I worked with producer Thomas Porter on the new single. It was our first session working together and I went into the room with a bunch of songs I had been writing. He encouraged me to throw everything out the window and to see what happened naturally when we started working from a blank canvas. A janky guitar progression and some drums was all we needed to get the songwriting flowing. A few hours later the song was finished. We sat with the song for a while and re-tracked vocals + added some horns to give it some character.

Where and when did you record/produce/master and who did you work with?
It was my first time working with high school friend and producer Thomas Porter at his home studio. We used to both play Saxophone in the school band. We wrote/recorded this song 2 years ago and I have been holding onto it ever since – so I thought it was finally time to put it out. It was a bit of a school reunion, the horns were played by Liam Thomas, who also went to the same high school as us.

How did you approach the recording process?
We finalised the instrumental on the first day, and used it as a guide to write lyrics to. Then we recorded the hook and bounced the track with empty verses so I could take it away and play around with it. On the final production day – I had recorded the horns and we came back to record fresh vocals on the whole track + some BV’s and harmonies.

Who are you listening to at the moment?
I love variety. Right now I’m listening to heaps of Blake Rose, Lewis Capaldi, Russ, Mac Miller, Lime Cordiale.
Pretty much anything with a strong male pop vocal.

What’s planned for 2023 and beyond?
– More Live Shows
– Support tour
– Studio Sessions and writing trips (Collaborating with new and old friends)
– Rehearsals with the band and polishing up the live show

Favourite food and place to hangout?
Salty Rooster in Manly do the best chicken burgers and chips – you can thank me later!

Socials:

https://linktr.ee/jamiepostle

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Ken Paolo & The Space Cadets

by the partae
written by the partae

Where are you currently based?

Perth (Boorloo), WA.

How did the band form?

We all met at uni. I asked the musicians there who inspired me to start a band.

What’s been happening recently?

Released a music video for “Heads at A hundred”, released the song “Natural Ways’. Just been playing gigs as much as we can and been working on the EP.

Your latest single ‘Natural Ways’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?

Heaps of rnb and soul music. Artists like Durand Jones and The Indication, Ari Lennox, Silk Sonic and Beyonce inspires me lots.

How did you go about writing Natural Ways?

I wrote it the melody and lyrics after falling out with a friend. Brought it to the band and became like a friend breakup anthem for us.

Where and when did you record/produce/master and who did you work with?

Recorded and produced by our favourite, Tonecity Record’s Sam Ford. 

Natural Ways is your most ambitious track to date, how was it navigating the horn section?

Bob, our keys player and local hearthrob composed the horn section. We kind of just wanted to compliment the melody and lift the groove of the song.

You’ve built a reputation for killer live shows, what do they like most about performing?

Persia, our backing vocalist, is my vocal idol and is basically a goddess, being able to sing with her and play off each other really makes the show fun and fresh. Each song live, each instrumentalist (Bob, Cass and Kuda) have a solo so we all get to shine and just vibe. 

How would you define your sound?

Soul, rnb, funk and somewhat jazz. Just mostly fun and groovy but can also be personal and chill. Purely vibing.

What shows are you looking forward to playing?

We’re playing with MNDSGN, in Nov which is really cool.

Highlights of 2022?

Filming Heads at a hundred with triple j and Nida in sydney. We felt like true rockstars and met some incredible people.

Please tell us about your upcoming EP:

Lyrically, it’s super personal to me. My favourite song is the ballad “Two Different People”, which reflects on my own family relationships. We gave something special and unique to each song. I think it’s a true reflection of our song.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

Beyonce, Omar Apollo, Yebba, Jazmine Sullivan.

What’s planned for the remainder of 2022 going into 2023?

Get the EP out and hopefully, tour nationally.

Favourite food and place to hangout?

We love $4 Pizza, and we mostly hang out at gigs or rehearsals. Mojos in Freo will always be our homeground.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kenpaoloandthespacecadets

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kenpaolo/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6_TXKqEkzOM_xh2rVnWdyA

Triple J Unearthed: https://www.abc.net.au/triplejunearthed/artist/ken-paolo-and-space-cadets/

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Darcy Fox

by the partae
written by the partae

We sat down with Darcy Fox, who’s just released her new single “Ashamed”, available to stream now.

Where are you currently based?

I’m living on Wurundjeri land, in the inner-north of Melbourne.

How did you first start playing music?

My mum is a musician and I watched her perform my whole life. When I was a teenager, I decided I wanted to give it a go. I taught myself how to play Taylor Swift on guitar and channelled my inner showpony.

My first gig was actually at a country music club in my hometown. From there, I went around scouting any local gig I could.

What’s been happening recently?

I’ve mainly been working on my new music!

Apart from that, I’ve been fostering a greyhound with my fiance. Her name is Molly and we’re obsessed with her.

Your latest single ‘Ashamed’ will be out on the 14th of October, what influenced the sound and songwriting?

My songwriting is always influenced by my favourite lyricists – like Passenger and Brandi Carlile. For me, lyrics carry the song. We can always change the production and overall vibe, but the storytelling has to hold up.

“Ashamed” took on many different sounds, but ultimately, we ended up with a soft indie-rock track. It really helps to drive home those key moments in the song – like the swirling, repetitive bridge and the angsty pre-chorus.

How did you go about writing Ashamed?

Honestly, it was fully formed in about 30 minutes! The hook came to me in the middle of the night – I grabbed my guitar and wrote the song as quietly as possible so I didn’t wake up my housemates.

It was one of those really easy songs to write.

What message do you hope the audience takes away from Ashamed?

I hope people are reminded that the person you choose to be with should be proud of who you are – whether that’s your sexuality, gender or anything else. You deserve to be loved loudly.

No matter how people relate to the message, I hope they feel seen, heard and empowered.

Where and when did you record/produce/master and who did you work with?

I had an absolute dream team for this track (and the rest of the record!).

I worked super closely with Curtis Hatton of Studio Truth, who mixed and produced “Ashamed” – he completely saw my vision and the key moments I wanted to create in the song. Then he took that and made it better than I could have imagined.

We also had the very talented Cory Jach and Marcus Ryan lay down some guitars and drums for us, to really perfect the sound.

Greg Calbi and Steve Fallone of Sterling Sound mastered the track, which is mind blowing because they’ve worked with some of my favourite artists – like Taylor Swift and Kacey Musgraves.

How did you approach the recording process?

Over what felt like the longest time! I started recording in March 2020, which really was a bad time to start anything. Anytime restrictions lifted, Curtis and I were in the studio, working on the tracks. It’s been a journey, but it feels like I’m releasing “Ashamed” at the perfect time for me.

It went through many iterations – when I wrote it in 2017, it was such a sad song. But now, with time and healing, it has such a cathartic power. I’m so glad this is the version going out into the world.

Please tell us about why being a overtly queerly artist is important to you:

It’s so important to me to normalise stories about women loving women. It’s something we still don’t hear enough of, but there’s a whole community of people looking for representation.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

I’m loving Ashe’s latest stuff, particularly her song ‘Emotional’ – I can’t stop singing to it in the car. MUNA is pretty much always on repeat, I’m hoping I can see them at Sydney WorldPride next year!

What do you like to do away from music?

Honestly, I’m so domestic it’s a little bit gross. I basically hang out with my fiance and our dogs, and play The Sims. I also dabble in burlesque lessons, which is a totally different and fun take on creative expression.

What’s planned for the remainder of 2022 going into 2023?

More music! I’ll be dropping more singles, then the album in 2023. I can’t wait for everyone to hear it!

I’m also getting married in March, which is a big one!

Favourite food and place to hangout?

Honestly, over the last two years I got really good at staying home and ordering Pad See Ew. But now that I’m back in the habit of leaving the house, I’m a big fan of the food trucks at Welcome to Thornbury.

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ULTRAVLT 

by the partae
written by the partae

Where are you currently based?

We are all based in Naarm/Melbourne, Australia

How did the band form?

Sarah met Jack and Connor through her singing Mentor (Susie Ahern), who happens to be their mum. Sarah intended to form a group of session players to support her solo career. 

Sarah and Jay had been friends all through high school, (since they were 12 years old) and studied music together as well. Sarah asked Jay to also be a part of the session players as a pianist. They all became friends very quickly, sharing interests in the same genre of music.

There came a point where Sarah realized that their friendships and musical connections with each other were so special, so they all decided to become a band to continue sharing and creating that magic with each other.   

What’s been happening recently?

We have been on a high from releasing our 2 latest singles ‘ I never liked you in the first place’ and ‘Okay’! These were accompanied by our first music videos, which has been exciting!

At the moment, we are playing a lot of live shows, supporting some amazing local bands as well as working on our online presence.

We also just finished recording another two music videos that are set for release at the end of 2022 and early 2023!

We are also hitting the studio again in November to get some music prepared for releases in 2023! A lot of great things are in the works since the pandemic and it feels great being able to create and release new music.

Your latest single ‘Okay’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?

Bring me the Horizon’s ‘amo’ was one of the albums we were listening to a lot during the writing process, and also Issues album, ‘Beautiful Oblivion’. 

We’ve always been influenced by Paramore and Bring me the horizon.  

With songwriting, we usually just write straight from the heart. 

Sarah usually does most of the lyric writing, and finds that it stems from lessons learnt and mental battles that people don’t really like to talk about.

How did you go about writing Okay?

Connor actually came up with the main guitar riff, and then we all put our own personal touches on the track.

Before each song we have a pre-production day with our producers, where we all throw our ideas in, we would bring forward songs that we’re currently working on. Pre-production really helps us strive for a goal for each song and makes sure that we all have the same vision.  

We originally brought our producers a different song that we were working on, but ended up scrapping it half way as we didnt feel it matched the energy we wanted to portray. 

Where and when did you record/produce/master and who with?

We recorded/produced and co-wrote this song with Ash Daws and Evan Lee at The Loud Noise Estate in Melbourne, in early 2020.

We have always loved working with them as we feel they bring out the absolute best in us!

We have an amazing creative relationship and friendship with them, which we find very special and are super grateful for.

Please tell us about the Ultravlt mention on WILLOW’s social media?

At the time, we had just established ourselves as Ultravlt, but since it was in the height of the pandemic we began creating an online presence as a new band, so we decided to do our own renditions of songs that we were loving.

One of the songs we did was ‘Transparent Soul’ by WILLOW. We had heaps of fun making it!

Jack’s fiance (Molly), called Sarah at 7am to tell us that WILLOW re-posted the cover on her profile. All of us were in shock as we didn’t expect her to see it, let alone share it on her page! This opportunity gained Utravlt many new followers and expanded their audience internationally. We are incredibly grateful and were ecstatic.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

Sarah is obsessed with Demi Lovato’s latest album “Holy Fvck”, as well as her usual favorites The 1975’s, Paramore, Gretta Ray and currently loving Cat Burns.

Connor is listening to Sleep tokens “This Place Will Become Your Tomb” and Stand Atlantics       “F.E.A.R”  

Jay is always listening to either The Garden or Death Grips. Anything experimental is always up their alley. 

Jack is currently listening to Forest Claudette, Sleep Token and hundredth. Loves to listen to a bunch of different genres.

What do you like to do away from music?

Music is a very big part of all our lives, so it’s very rare for us to do much else.

Sarah loves acting and is currently working on her acting career, she also loves to go on long drives and spends every other moment with her dogs.

Connor is very passionate about cars. He loves modifying them and working on them. Connor also likes to spend his time doing graphic design.

Jack loves to spend time with his fiance and dog. He is also passionate about fish, and is obsessed with his fish tanks. Jack is always creating and writing music in many different genres.

Jay is a big book nerd and is just finishing up their masters in librarianship. They love the contrast of spending evenings at loud gigs, and days in the quiet coziness of a library. 

What’s planned for the future of Ultravlt going into 2023 and beyond?

Ultravlt do plan on continuing to write and release tracks as well as continue to work on their online content. We aim to do bigger shows and hopefully get to tour one day!

We plan on having some headline shows coming and continue to create a household name.

Favorite food and place to hangout?

Our favorite foods are pizza, American BBQ, Chinese, and KBBQ. 

Our favorite places to hang out are Philip island and bed.

https://www.facebook.com/ultravlt.band

https://www.instagram.com/ultravlt.band/

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Taylor B-W

by the partae
written by the partae
Where are you currently based?
I’m in Sydney, born and raised.

How did you first start playing music?
I grew up in a musical household, so music came very natural to me. As a toddler, I was always singing, writing (terrible) kiddy love songs, choreographing something, drawing and painting, playing out scenarios with my toys by myself (only child syndrome), and just being creative.
However, as a career, I didn’t take music particularly seriously until 2017 when I randomly entered into an international ‘battle-of-the-bands’ competition, called Emergenza.  Having never performed my original songs in public, I was absolutely shocked when I won the National title in Australia, and was then flown over to Germany to compete in the international finals, coming 4th overall!  I came back home with a better sense of self and direction, and went straight into crafting my sound and artistry as Taylor B-W… and haven’t looked back since!

What’s been happening recently?
Oh my gosh, soooo much!  Earlier this year, I released 3 singles (High Demand, ‘In Ur Net’ and Tears Of Coal’), then I released my debut EP, BTW TBW, in August, with a sold-out release party at Bootleggers, Newtown (upstairs Kelly’s On King), I’m about to embark on my first tour around Regional NSW in October, to celebrate my EP, I moved-in with my partner, and I’ve just released my post-EP single, ‘Last Child’!  Talk about a lot in a year!

Your single ‘Last Child’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?
After I wrote out the initial lyrics in a stream of consciousness, and stood back, I realised I was really channelling Lana Del Rey’s ‘sadcore’ style.  I knew from then that I wanted the music to be big, epic, grandiose… a total soundscape.  To also help with that grand sound, I used synths that would remind me of our beautiful planet – for instance, the low, brooding synths at the start sound similar to whales in the ocean.
As I was going through the production process, I would often return to these song references: Adele’s ‘Hello’ and ‘Skyfall’, Lana Del Rey’s ‘Ride’, Amy Shark’s ‘I Said Hi’ and, of course, Michael Jackson’s ‘Earth Song’ (the biggest influence) to reflect that epic, indie, dream-pop feel.

How did you go about writing Last Child and what does this song mean to you?
‘Last Child’ was a stream of consciousness as I was crying… it was 2017, the year I was studying to become a zookeeper (yes, I am a qualified zookeeper!), so I was learning so much about our world’s flora and fauna and it opened my eyes up to our climate emergency, more than ever before.  At that moment, when I was writing ‘Last Child’, I was so depressed about the state of our planet, with so many politicians putting their head in the sand and avoiding the climate crisis, that I just put pen to paper through my tears.
‘Last Child’ is honestly one of my favourite songs I’ve written.  I’m pretty proud of it!

Where and when did you record/produce/master and who did you work with?
It was produced/mixed/mastered by Peter Holz at Love Hz studios in Leichhardt – early 2020!  However, it never felt like the right time to release the song… till now!

How did you approach the recording process?
I actually had a fully produced demo going into the studio with Pete, but I wasn’t happy with it and wanted to completely start from scratch and approach the process with an open mind.  I think it turned out beautifully, but I am bias!

Who are you listening to at the moment?
Oh I listen to a lot of music, but I guess my focus artist at the moment is Finneas! Having just seen Billie Eilish in concert a few weeks back, I was so inspired that I thought I’d deep dive into this genius’ catalogue and now I’m obsessed!  Also, Dora Jar supported Billie Eilish all through her world tour, so I’ve been listening to a lot of her music too!

Please tell us about your training with zookeeping and how it has mixed with your music career:
So I took a step back from the entertainment industry after suffering from a mental health illness back in 2016 and switched my attention to conservation after going on a life-changing wildlife volunteering trip to Africa, where I learnt so much about the caring of animals.  I came home and immediately launched into studying more.  Initially I just did an Animal Studies course at the Taronga Training Institute in Sydney, but I then progressed to a zookeeping course at Taronga Zoo in Dubbo which was the most incredible period of my life.  I made so many beautiful friends (both humans and non-humans)!
Although music called me back after winning Emergenza (therefore I never actually got to apply for a zookeeping job), I now do as much as I can to use my very small, emerging music platform to advocate for wildlife conservation and fight against climate change.  Even the smallest of lifestyle changes can make all the difference!

Your debut EP BTW TBW was released last month, please tell us about how this EP came about and what it means to you:
BTW TBW is a collection of pop, r&b songs that I had written over the past six years – it was a huge relief to finally release these songs because, although I love them all to bits, it is nice to be able to close a chapter of my life that I’ve been wanting to move on from for a while.  I’ve dealt with a lot of demons and have also had some interesting experiences with people, and this EP lays it all out.  I am so happy the EP has resonated so well with my audience!
Although I’ve had ‘Last Child’ for so long too, the sound and direction of ‘Last Child’ is so different to the tracks on BTW TBW that I didn’t want to include it on the EP – it deserves its own time in the limelight!

You are on tour this October, where are you headed and what can we expect?
Expect fun and high energy shows!  This tour is a wonderful way for an emerging artist, like me, to be able to meet new audiences, explore new towns, and also help to reinvigorate the live music scene in regional towns that have faced a lot of hardship due to COVID, bushfires and floods in the past two years.  I’m grateful that Create NSW was able to help fund part of it because this is a great new step in my career and I cannot wait!
I will be performing my songs with my band, along with local special guests, in: Wagga Wagga, Blue Mountains, Bathurst, Central Coast, Newcastle, Wollongong, plus an extra show in Canberra.

What’s planned for 2023 and beyond?
Well 2022 was the year of releases… and I’m exhausted.  I need 2023 to be a time for resetting myself.  Like I mentioned before, my debut EP release, BTW TBW, allowed me to close a chapter of music that I had held close to my chest for a while.  So next year I am going to develop more as a producer, delve more into different sounds and musical directions and release new music that will test me and my audiences… I’m so pumped for what’s to come!

Favourite food and place to hangout?
Favourite cuisine: Japanese
Favourite vices: gelato and sweet potato fries!
Favourite place to hangout: dog parks!

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